HEAD coach Jason Strange was pleased by the mental strength show by his Wales Under-20s novices in Italy but knows they will have to dig deep again when locking horns with England.

The Welsh prospects head to Colwyn Bay for Friday’s clash (kick-off 7.15pm) in fine spirits after a 27-5 victory in challenging conditions in Milan.

Now they go up against an England side who romped to a 59-17 win against France and Strange is looking for another strong display after handing debuts to 20 players in Italy.

“For such a young group to play in a calm and assured manner is really positive,” said former Ebbw Vale boss Strange. “They dealt with the conditions and the environment really well.

“That was the most pleasing thing, the mental strength of the group, which we’re going to need a lot of this week as we prepare for England.

“It’s one thing giving players clarity around what to expect on the pitch, but it’s another having to experience it and to execute a game plan. They did that really well under pressure, and it was a standout performance, to be fair.”

England won the World Rugby U20 Championship last summer and impressed on opening weekend, running in nine tries in a dubbing of the French in Exeter.

Strange said: “We’re facing a different challenge this week against England, but we’ll prepare thoroughly and see what happens.

“There will be some similarities to last week’s match, in that England will bring a heavy pack and a big set piece.

“Going into the match, we’ll be looking to continue a theme of strong leadership throughout the team, along with good decision-making.”

The head coach is enthusiastic about the development of his players, many of whom have played together throughout the international age groups.

He said: “The more time they have together, experiencing that type of unique pressure that is unique to international rugby, the better they will become as players.”